Key moments in our post-contact history
The Ma’amtagila have existed since long before settlers arrived on this land. You can learn more about our history in Our Myths. These are some important events in our more recent history, called the Common Era.
All transcripts of McKenna-McBride Commission meetings can be found at the website of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.
Description of our reserves, from the archives of the Commission.
Decision of the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs in BC, 1916.
From the pages of the General Report.
Common ErA: McKenna-McBride
AUGUST 4, 1914
Mahteelthpe Tribe recognized by the federal & provincial governments & granted four reserves
The Royal Commission on Indian Affairs in British Columbia was a joint effort between the Federal and Provincial Governments to bring some clarity to the state of Indigenous territory in the province. From 1913-16 “McKenna-McBride Commission” visited every reserve, heard from chiefs and Indian Agents, and established the formal boundaries of what was then called “Indian land”, what we now call “reserve land.”
Ma’amtagila Chief Lagis met with the commission in June 1914 (transcript below), and a decision was rendered a few months later. At that time, we were known to the government as the Man-teel-th-pe Tribe. The General Report, released in 1916, included description of four parcels of land set aside for our use:
Kwawkewlth Agency - Mahteelthpe Tribe
ORDERED: That the Indian Reserves of the Mahteelthpe Tribe, numbered from 1 to 4, both inclusive, described in the Official Schedule of Indian Reserves, 1913, BE CONFIRMED as now fixed and determined and shewn on the Official Plans of Survey, viz.:
No. 1-Etsekin, 32.50 acres;
No. 2-Keecekiltum or Port Harvey, 29.00 acres;
No. 3-Haylahte, 47.00 acres, and
No. 4-Port Neville or Harkhom, 36.70 acres.
Victoria, B.C., August 14th, 1914.
Certified Correct,
C.H. Gibbons, Secretary.
This decision of the commission forms a central part of the legal ground for the Ma’amtagila’s claim to our territory, under Canadian law. More importantly, we retain rights to our territory through Indigenous law, which both precedes and supersedes Canadian law.
The full text of the Minutes of Decision can be read here.
JUNE 3,1914
Meeting with the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs in BC
On Wednesday, June 3, 1914, Chief Lagis of what was recorded as the Man-teel-th-pe Band (sic) addressed the commissioners of the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs in BC (the McKenna-McBride Commission). Speaking at a meeting in Alert Bay, the chief described his fears for the land of his people.
This is the transcript of that meeting:
CHIEF LAGIS addresses the Commission as follows:
I will now speak.
I welcome the Commission to my heart to-day. I am glad to meet you for this reason that we are so much in trouble about our lands. There are hardly any of my lands left now for our use — it is all taken by the whites — it is given to them by the people from whom you come.
There are only a few cedar trees left now — all the other trees are gone now; namely the fir trees — all have been cut down by the whites.
Many booms of logs have been taken away from my lands; so many of them that I don't know the number of them. My forefathers have never received anything from the Government for these lands - at least if they did I don't know anything about it. I don't think they have received anything for it.
These lands belong to our forefathers, and therefore belong to me and my children, and I want to put forth my hand to pull some of it back as it looks like as if the Government wants it wrenched out of our hands.
Those lands, as I said before belong to my forefathers, and therefore we say it is our own. That is all I have to say myself. I want to put another one to speak in my place, and I ask for 200 acres for each of my people, and I hope that this Commission will do all in its power that I may get it - I expect to get it. I want the Commission to look at this list of applications. All these places are mine - they are all my valued sites. HAMSEETAKUND is sworn to give evidence.
MR. COMMISSIONER CARMICHAEL: You are speaking for this Tribe, are you not?
A. Yes.
Q. And you are authorized by the Chief and the Indians of the Tribe to speak for them?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you know what the population of the Tribe is?
A. Yes.
Q. What is it?
A.42 all told.
Q. How many families are there?
A. Eighteen.
Q. What do the Tribe do for a living - what is their principal occupation?
A. Fishing at the canneries.
Q. Do all the men go to the canneries to fish?
A. Not all - we don't usually all go.
Q. How many of them go - what proportion?
A. There are generally six that go to the fishing.
Q. And those that don't go, what do they do?
A. They generally have some money from the potlatch to support them.
Q. Are these the old people?
A. Yes, two of them - the four generally do some kind of work.
Q .Have they any gasoline boats?
A. Yes, we have one.
Q. And have they any sail boats?
A. Two.
Q.I suppose they have a number of canoes?
A. Two only.
Q. Only two canoes?
A. Yes.
Q. What is the general condition of the Indians - are they comfortably off?
A. There are two that are unable to work sometimes, and when they are in need of anything we generally help them out and the others are comfortably off just now.
Q. Do they ever have a doctor to attend them?
A. No.
Q .Do they ever come here to see a doctor?
A. Only those that can afford to come to see the doctor.
Q. And they always come to see the doctor when they require it?
A. Yes, those who have the money.
Q. Did you hear what the other Indians said regarding a hospital and medical treatment in general?
A. What was said yesterday about the Doctor and the hospital is very true and we all agree with it.
Q. Do the missionaries ever visit them?
A. We have only had two visits from the missionary steamer.
Q. That is the "Crosby", is it not?
A. May be that is the one, I don't know.
Q. Have you any school?
A. No.
Q.Is the closest school at Alert Bay?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you hear what was said yesterday about the school question?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you agree with that?
A.I agree with it.
Q. Have you anything particular yourself to say about the subject?
A.I have nothing more to say, only I would bring my children to this boarding school if it was not full.
Q. Do you know Reserve No. 1?
A. Yes, I know it.
Q. That is 32½ acres?
A. There is a line mark that was cut along right close to the village - we don't know whether that is the mark or not. There is not post there, we only supposed that this 32½ acres means that. This line that was cut there we think that is not the boundary line of our Reserve - we don't know. We don't think it is.
Q. You can apply to the Agent, and he will be able to tell you whether it is or not.
WITNESS: Would Mr. Halliday be willing to go with us there if we came and asked him to show us?
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Yes, he would go with you.
Q.Is your principal village on this Reserve?
A. That was our main village.
Q. Is it not your main village now?
A. No we don't live there now. We left there because there was so many of us died there at the time of the smallpox.
Q. Where do you live now?
A. We are now living with the Klatwitsis Tribe.
Q. What do they use this No. 1 Reserve for now?
A. We make use of that place for hunting and digging clams there on the beach - We also have a small garden there.
Q. What do they get when they hunt there?
A. We get mink, coon, marten and sometimes land otter.
Q. What do they grow in their gardens?
A. Potatoes.
Q. Is the soil good?
A. Just where the houses are it is good.
Q. How much of it would be good soil?
A. Just where the houses are and around it, but it is kind of stoney.
Q.Is there much timber on it?
A. There are some trees on one end of the place, and those trees we would like to get; that is permission to cut them down.
Q. Are they cedar trees; or what kind of trees are they?
A. Fir trees.
Q. Would they make good saw-logs?
A. Yes. That is why we would like to get them, because the trees are good for that purpose.
Q. Mr. Halliday will be able to see whether these trees are on the reserve later on. The Chief said some booms of logs had been taken from his land - Did he mean from this Reserve?
A. Yes, but not this Reserve. Nankatumis is the name of one place (not a reserve) and the other is Haylate (reserve No. 3). Now do you know the No. 2 Reserve?
A. Yes.
Q. What do they use this Reserve for?
A. We hunt there, and get clams there on the beach, and we also want the trees there and the land.
Q. There is a river on this Reserve - do they use this river?
A. It is only a small stream, and there is no fish in it.
Q. What is the soil like on this Reserve?
A. It is good.
Q. Do they use it at all for gardens?
A. The old people in former times used to plant potatoes there.
Q. Why don't they use it now for planting potatoes?
A. Because we go to the fishing at the canneries every year that is why we don't plant any potatoes there or have any gardens there; because if we did, in our business, it would likely be robbed.
Q. Who would rob it?
A. There are plenty of people about all the time, and we would not be there to look after it.
Q. Could not the old men who don't go to the canneries look after the gardens?
A. The people who don't go fishing they are too old and feeble -they can't do anything. They are usually taken to other places where they will be looked after.
Q. Would going to the canneries prevent the Band from having gardens of any kind?
A. Yes, that prevents us from doing anything of that kind. That is more important to us than planting a few potatoes because we get some money from that.
Q.Is the timber good on that Reserve?
A. What few that are left and are not yet cut down by these white men, they are good.
Q. What kind of timber is it? Is it cedar or fir or hemlock, or what is it?
A. Fir.
Q.Is it of pretty good size - would it make saw-logs?
A. Yes, a pretty good size.
Q. Could a man get a good winter's work cutting saw-logs there?
A. It is not good for to be made into logs for a sawmill; that is why it is left there by the people who took the other timber.
Q. No one could go and cut timber off your Reserves without first getting permission?
A. Sam came to Mr. Halliday and told him about this white man cutting the timber off this Reserve, but Mr. Halliday's words were "that the white man knows what he is doing".
Q. We will question Mr. Halliday about this matter later on. You made a statement in which you said that you wished to keep this Reserve for the timber that is on it. Now what timber is on it that you want to keep it for?
A. We want to hold this place for the land and the beach. We did want the trees before they were cut off, and now there are only a few left.
Q. We will find out about that later. Are there any houses on this Reserve?
A. Yes, there is a house there.
Q. Now do you know No. 3?
A. Yes.
Q. What do they use this Reserve for?
A. What I want that Reserve for is for the salmon fishing.
Q. Is the soil good.
A. Yes, it is good.
Q. Have they any gardens there?
A. Yes.
Q. How much land is there planted with gardens?
A. It is a good width.
Q. What do they grow there?
A. Only potatoes.
Q. What is the timber like on this Reserve?
A. The trees that were on the Reserve were all cut off by the Whiteman.
Q. When was it cut off?
A. In the time of Mr. Pidcock, our former Indian Agent.
Q .Did he ever try to stop them?
A. The trees were nearly all gone when he stopped them.
Q .And did the Indians get anything for the trees?
A. No.
Q. Why didn't the Indians tell Mr. Pidcock about it before they were all gone?
A. The Chief he went to Mr. Pidcock about it, but Mr. Pidcock did not come at once.
Q. Has they been any fire in the timber in this neighbourhood?
A. No.
Q. No fire at all?
A. There was a fire there after the trees were taken off.
Q. Are there any houses there?
A. There are five houses there altogether.
Q. Are they occupied?
A. Not at all times - only when we go there for the fish.
Q. Now there is an Island off the Reserve - do you know that?
A. That very spot has a name by itself. Amongst us the name of itis Klaywatso. It is a village site and there is some grass there
Q. Have you any cattle or sheep that would eat that grass that is on that Island?
A. No, we have no cattle. If we had cattle the grass would be good for them.
Q. No. 4 Reserve - do you know that?
A. Yes.
What is it used for?
A. There I get the salmon and dry it for our food.
Q. How many houses are there on this Reserve?
A. There were six houses there, but one was destroyed there by a white man camping there, and then he used the house for firewood
Q. Did you complain to the Indian Agent about that?
A. If we had come to Mr. Halliday about it, it is very likely we would not be listened to, because other people have come to him for such things and they have never been listened to. We know Mr. Halliday from the past experiences we have had with him. One time there was a woman had a house, and she was ordered out of her own house by a white man and even threatened to be shot if she did not move out of there. This matter was brought to Mr. Halliday's attention, and he never paid any attention to it; and that is why we did not bring this matter of the house being destroyed to his attention.
Q. What was the name of this woman?
A. Luci Seaweed, and she is living in Alert Bay now.
Q. But did you complain to the Agent about this house being town down by the white man and destroyed for firewood?
A. No.
MR. COMMISSIONER McKENNA:I understand that you made a statement to the effect that you came to Mr. Halliday about this mattered he paid no attention to it - Am I correct?
Yes, it is true.
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Do you know that Mr. Halliday went down there with a constable and took this man away, and that is now in a lunatic asylum - Do you know that?
A. Yes.
Q. Then why do you say that Mr. Halliday paid no attention to it?
A. This crazy man affair only happened three years after the woman was ordered out of the house.
Q. How long after she was ordered out of the house did you go to the Indian Agent and complain to him?
A. Since I knew about it I told Mr. Halliday.
Q. Did you know anything about this matter yourself from your own experience?
A. Luci Seaweed told me about this white man ordering this woman to go out of the house.
Q. Do you know that this house that she was ordered out of was not on an Indian Reserve?
A. The house is on the Indian Reserve where the woman was ordered out of.
Q. We will examine Mr. Halliday later about this whole matter.
A. I wish that this woman Luci Seaweed be present when Mr. Hallidayis being examined (Some of the Indians in the audience). We wish when Mr. Halliday is being examined that we shall be present to give evidence.
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: This matter will be considered by the Commission.
WITNESS: I want Sam to also give evidence in the presence of Mr. Halliday when this woman is being examined.
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: This is probably a matter for the Indian Department to take up; but the Commission will consider the matter when they are together.
Q. How many of these houses are occupied on this Reserve? There are six houses there, we forgot one, and they are all occupied.
Q. And they use the Reserve for fishing principally, do they?
A. Yes.
Q. What kind of fishing do they get there?
A. They get different kinds of salmon, such as the humpbacks. Cohoes, steelheads and trout; and we hunt there for fur bearing animals there too.
Q.Is the fishing there good - do they get plenty?
A. Yes.
Q.As to the hunting of fur bearing animals, do they get many furs there?
A. Yes, at the far back of it.
Q.Is the soil good on this Reserve?
A. It is good.
Q. Have they gardens there?
A. We used to have a garden there.
Q. What is the timber like on this Reserve?
A. What few are left from what was cut there is good.
Q. Are there any cedar trees there?
A. No.
Q. What is it, hemlock or fir?
A. Mostly fir.
Q. Where do they get their firewood from?
A. We get our firewood from the beach,
Q. I suppose there is a good deal of driftwood around here?
A. Yes.
Q. How long do they stay on this Reserve when they go there?
A. Two months,
Q. Why don't they live there all the year round instead of living on another Reserve with another Tribe?
A. We go to live with the other Tribe when we are through with the work.
Q. But that is not an answer to my question.
Q. When the winter comes it is very cold there and it is closed up by ice and there is no work for us to stay there for.
A. Another reason why we go to the other Tribe is because were more likely to get some work. Now I want to speak to you about Haylahte. We ask for the privilege of the exclusive right of using that beach there at Haylahte. We have found Japanese coming there to catch fish; that is they haul the nets over on that beach, and whence we try to stop them, we are just threatened and ordered away. And therefore we ask that the Japanese be stopped from coming there any more and that we have the right to use that beach for ourselves.
Q. Do the Japanese use the seine net there?
A. Yes.
Q. Has any cannery the right of using a seine net on that beach?
A. Yes, it is from the(cannery that these Japanese come from.
Q. What cannery is it they come from?
A. The cannery at Keegh (the Knight Inlet cannery).
Q. This is a question which has come before the Commission on previous occasions, and it will receive their careful consideration.
WITNESS: About four years ago Sam came to Mr. Halliday about some logs lying on the ground. Now I ask that I may take the logs off that place.
Q. Are the logs marked?
A.I cut down the trees myself.
Q. Off the reserve?
A. Yes - off Reserve No. 1, Etsekim.
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: I have spoken to Mr. Halliday and he will let you take these logs that are lying on the ground away but you must stop cutting any timber down for the present. Mr. Halliday was not aware at the time that any logs had been cut or leftover on the ground. You must understand that they must not cut any more logs without a permit and they must go to the Agent for that permit. Now we will come to the applications for lands
APPLICATION NO. 1:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: He wants half a mile wide on each side of over on No. 3 Reserve and the name of the river is Adams River.
APPLICATION:
At Kokum, Reserve No. 4, I want half a mile on each side of an unnamed river.
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: They want all the way up the river to its head; it is wanted for the beach, clams, fish, timber and the land.
APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: At Kikum, on Blenkinsop Bay, they want half a mile of any unoccupied land on each side of the river that flows from Seabird Lake into Blenkinson Bay. They want it for the logging, and the beach for clams and also for the land.
APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Pawala, on Call Creek, at the head: There are two little creeks at the head flowing into it. They want half a mile on each side of the creek and half a mile deep. It is wanted for the herring fishing, herring spawn, and the clams on the beach.
NOTE: A small part seems to be taken up by a timber limit and a part seems to be clear (marked 4 on Agent Halliday's map as it is not shown on our map).
No. 5 APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: This is at Staukin Reserve No. 1. They want the boundaries of that reserve extended half a mile on each side of the reserve, to run a mile deep. They want the beach for the clams, the land to build their houses on and the timber as well.
No. 6 APPLICATION
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Giltum, on Port Harvey, directly north of
Reserve No. 2; they want one mile of shore frontage. There is a creek running right into the middle of that and they want to go one mile back on the creek. They want the beach for the clams, the timber when it is cleared, and the land for gardens when the trees have been cut off.
No. 7 APPLICATION
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Naunkadamis, at Port Harvey, Reserve No. 2, directly east of application No. 6. They want one mile frontageby a mile back. It is an old Indian village site and they want to take in the houses, the beach for clams; they want to cut the timber off the place and the land they want to use for gardens.
NO. 8 APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Moosa, at the head of Boughey Bay; that is a timber limit.
NO. 9 APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: On Knight Inlet; it seems to be covered by T.L's 71 and 81 on Call Creek.
No. 10 Application:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: At the head of Cutter Creek near the entrance to Knight Inlet; they call it Gildelise and they want half a mile on each side on the creek by one mile back (Marked 10 on
Mr. Halliday's map). They want the beach for the clams and the land for logs.
NO. 11 APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: At Port Neville: Known as Robber's Knob; a river passes through this and they want half a mile on both sides of the river and one mile back. They want the beach for the clams. The land is good land and they want the land and the river for the salmon fishing. (Marked 11 on Mr. Halliday's map).
No. 12 APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Zazawadalalis; it is known as Hanson's place on Port Neville, and is apparently crown-granted.
THE CHIEF: That place has been abandoned by the white man Hanson - he has gone away and given up the place.
AGENT HALLIDAY explained that Mr. Hanson had merely moved into the town in order to secure educational facilities for his children.
NO. 13 APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: Kwatsas, on Port Neville, directly south of application No. 11; there is a creek just opposite there and they marked No. 13 on Mr. Halliday's map. There is a small island opposite and they want that too.-- for the claims. They want the places for the land and the timber.
No. 14 APPLICATION:
MR. COMMISSIONER MACDOWALL: A place called Nanatsa, marked No. 14 on A Halliday's map. This is at the Narrows on Port Neville where there is a point coming out. They want one mile from the point running west, thence south one mile, and thence back to Port Neville. They want it for clams, abalones, and the timber. There is just a little bit of good soil where the old houses stand.
THE CHAIRMAN: Since our adjournment this morning, the Commission have met together and have discussed and talked over this question of the complaints that have been made in respect to Mr. Halliday; and while we are anxious that the Indians should be properly protected and looked after, yet it is not our duty to question the duties or the acts of the Indian Agents. That is a matter for the Department of Indian Affairs - and if the Indians desire any investigation, all they have to do is to make their wants known to the Department and the investigation will take place; and in justice to Mr. Halliday, I may say that he tells me that he is perfectly willing to have the investigation.
WITNESS: I wish to say that when I bring logs to the sawmill here, when they are measured, I know that the measure is not right - that we are cheated in the measurement of the logs, and I now ask that Mr. Halliday be given power to help us so that we can go and see that these logs are measured out correct. We don't think it is right that the Government scaler should be at the mill.
THE CHAIRMAN: If you make your complaint before Mr. Halliday or Mr.Ditchburn, they will see about this matter. We have heard that the Government scaler has control over there at the saw-mill, but we are not sure whether this is correct or not.
INTERPRETER: The Government Scaler is an official of the Mill.
THE CHAIRMAN: Well that is a very improper thing.
WITNESS: Well, we don't know that this man that scales the logs is the Government scaler.
Chief Lagis confirmed that by that time, most of his people had left the territory designated as their reserves and were living in the Namgis village of Alert Bay and the Tlowitsis village of Kalugwis.